I like to brush it, brush it....

***WARNING: This blog may contain affiliate links. It does NOT contain "The Memo", but my mama wants to read it!***

Hi everybody! Teddy here. February is one of my mom's favorite months. Not because of Valentine's Day (she hates it), not because of President's Day (but she does love the President), but because it's her birthday month! Not only is February my Mama's birthday, but it's also National Pet Dental Health Month. And that's what I like to brush.... my teeth! (You didn't think it was my fur did you? HA!)

My Mama is very proud of us because when we go to the vet, she always comments on how great our teeth are. As well they should be because we chew on stuff all The TIME! Apparently chewing on things, like bones, are great for our teeth. How awesome is that? It's one of our favorite activities (one that we can all agree on) and it's actually good for us. Our teeth are always pearly white and plaque free.

See, a lot of humans think that taking care of their pup's teeth is a huge chore. Like giving me a bath. (I HATE BATHS!) It's actually really simple. Easier than brushing a baby's teeth from what I understand when the kids used to come spend the night and my mom used to fight with them about brushing their teeth. And it isn't that expensive. I mean, I really have no concept of money because I'm a dog, but I know my mom and dad are always trying to "save" money.

See my pretty little teeth?

Our number one favorite thing to chew on is bones. Now, I know this might scare a lot of your parents, but hear me out. (Hear meowt.... I kill me!) There are certain kinds of bones that perfectly okay for your doggo to eat. Namely raw bones. Cooked or smoked bones can be brittle and crack, sending splinters in to your dog's intestines and a huge vet bill. No one wants that. Raw bones (appropriately sized for your dog's breed) are actually good for your dog's not just for keeping their teeth clean, but it also restores some the natural minerals that dogs are missing from pet food that we used to get when we were still wild and free. (I'm still wild, but if I get free my Mama gets super mad at me!)

If we can't have a real bone, then we'll happily settle for a dental treat. (really, we're excited just for any treat but the dental ones are kind of tasty!) Our favorite dental treats are Dingo dental sticks. They are so yummy and convenient for my mom to hand us.

Get your doggo some Dingos here!

We're also really in to these little paw shaped treats that none of us know the name of. They came in one of our BarkBoxes one month and Bella, being the brat she is, tore the bag up so Grammy stuck them in a ziplock and stuck them way up high on the shelf, so no one can get to them unless Mama gives them to us. But we love these tiny little treats, especially after a meal. It's like a dinner mint, but for a dog. If you know the name of those, please tell my mom!

One thing that I have always wanted to try is a deer antler. I saw a lot of those on my trip to Georgia for Mama and Daddy's wedding and boy did those look yummy! My mom is a wuss and has always been afraid to give me one. (I think mainly because I might just run with it and run right in to my Grammy and stab her on accident.) But they are supposed to last forever and be so awesome. I can only imagine, just chewing for hours and hours and hours on that hard antler. I'm drooling just thinking of it.

Doesn't this guy look happy? I'm so jealous!

Here are just a few more ways to keep your dog's teeth healthy and pretty!

1. Dental sprays

2. Coconut oil

3. Tooth wipes

4. Water additives

5. Chew toys

Now don't let me get started on chew toys! That's a whole other blog. But I hope that this has helped you think of some ways to help your pooch keep their teeth and gums healthy and happy. Remember: caring for your dog's teeth is just as important as caring for your own and we can't do it ourselves 'cause we don't have thumbs! (Yum,yum,yum! I swear, I crack myself up!) Obviously I'm not saying that you should never take your pet to the vet and have their teeth clean. You absolutely should always check with your vet to make sure your doggie is healthy and happy. Having clean teeth and healthy gums is a vital part to any pet's health. 

Keep your teeth clean and your tail wagging!

Teddy

New Year, New... No. Nothing's new....

***Caution! This blog post may contain affiliate leaks! (But no spoilers from "The Last Jedi". I swear!)***

Hey everyone! Teddy's back! Can you believe it's 2018 already? Sheesh! My mom certainly has been slacking on updating my blog, but no fears! I'm on top of her this New Year! (Literally. I was all up in her face, trying to lick her nose.) Every year, without fail, my Mama has all those hopes and dreams and goals in her head that she projects on to us. "I'm going to clean more!", "I'm going to blog more!", or my least favorite when it is negative balls outside, "No more peeing on the floor this year!" (Come on Mom! If I pee outside, my wiener is going to freeze to the ground!) My favorite, though, is when Mama promises to exercise more.

As a dog of a certain size, I am probably the least chill of all the dogs in my house. Coco is super lazy. She does nothing but lay around all day, always wanting someone to pet her and tell her how "pretty" she is. Yuck. I try to get her to play with me, but that usually only lasts about thirty seconds until she's done. Bella, the other icky girl dog, is NO fun to play with. She's always trying to murder me and much prefers to be alone, usually hogging Daddy. Girls are just boring. Except my Mama.

Mama does these funny stretches. She calls it yoga, I call it stretching, but tomayto tomahto right? She says this is exercising. I think she's nuts. Where's the fun in that? That's what you do to wake up after a nap. I want to run, to jump, and, most importantly to me, to bark and growl! So I go and find an empty soda or water bottle. I give the bottle to her, she throws it, I bring it back. This is a fun game to play and it's great exercise for both my body and my brain because she loves to throw the bottle in to places where I have to think about how I'm going to get it.

Bottle is a great game and my Mama loves it because it's free (mostly). We use the empty soda and water bottles that Daddy and Grammy leave around. To be really safe and to make sure that I don't cut my mouth, Mama uses old socks to cover the bottles and viola! Instant toy!

My sister and me playing with a sock toy!

Winter time has hit the Chicago-land area full force this new year and it's more important than any of the other five years of my life that my Mama find creative games and exercises for us dogs to do. I mean, Coco don't care so much, but Bella gets the Zoomies (for a great video showing you what the Pittie Zoomies are, check this clip from The Dodo out below my blog!) and I get really barky and annoying (even to myself!). We all have tendency to want to eat more and to want to fight more because we need more exercise. But when the temperature is -11 outside, you can't really stay outside to play or even go for a walk. You run out, do your business, and run back in before your wiener sticks to the ground because your mom won't let you pee on her hardwood floor. 

So how can you help keep your dogs well-exercised this winter? Here are a few ideas to keep your four-legged babies healthy and happy this year!

1. Treadmill- Now, if you are lucky enough to own one of these bad boys (and more so have a place to use it!), then you should definitely let Fido take his own walks this winter. Walking is by far the best exercise a dog can get and you might as well use that clunker for something besides holding your clothes!

2. Stairs- Some homes are blessed (or cursed in my Grammy's opinion) to have stairs in them. A great game to play: throw a ball up the stairs and have Fido fetch it back down! Great exercise for your doggo, not such exercise for you.

3. Hide and Seek- This works great if you have a big house and/or more than one person playing. Just tell your dog to stay while you hide, then call him to come find you! More people = more hiding spots = more exercise!

4. Tug of War- Another favorite use of old socks. My mom ties a knot in the end and I go to town trying to rip it away from her. I'm so strong you can even pick me up with my teeth when I grab on to a sock. (Not to brag or anything. Haha.)

5. Laser Pointer- This was an old favorite of my sister cat, Furrball's. This little red dot can have me running in circles for a long time, but because lasers can be addictive and a bit dangerous, Mama only allows us to play with them for a few minutes at a time.

6. Puzzles- Now, something my big sister is good at and does love is a good food puzzle! Anything involving food or treats automatically has Coco's attention. You can use a Kong (freezing it helps make the food harder to get out and thus more tiring for your pup) or you can get one of these nifty puzzle bowls like this.

Get your puzzle bowls here!

7. Chew toys/bones- This brings us back around to Bottle. One of my sisters' and my favorite things to do is take the top off of a bottle. So when Mama throws us our sock covered bottles, she makes sure those lids are on good and tight. We spend hours entertained by bottles. Also bones. We're a chatty bunch, naturally, so anything that keeps our mouths busy makes our Mama, daddy, and Grammy all very happy!

I hope this has helped you learn a little something about how us dogs look at exercise today. Bottom line is, we not only love to exercise, we need it. It's just the healthy thing. But when it's so cold outside that politicians put their hands in their own pockets (learned that one from Facebook), you might want to take your exercise indoors. Hopefully these suggestions help you and your best friend on your way to a healthy start to the New Year. Get creative! Let us know how you and your pets exercise during bad weather or when you just can't make it out to play!

Barks and kisses,

Teddy

P.S. Here's that link to The dodo's video on Pittie zoomies I told you about earlier!

 https://www.facebook.com/thedodosite/videos/1283692781765394/